title: Are flexion extension films necessary for cervical spine clearance in patients with neck pain after negative cervical CT scan?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are variations in cervical spine (CS) clearance protocols in neurologically intact blunt trauma patients with negative radiological imaging but persistent neck pain. Current guidelines from the current Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma include options of maintaining the cervical collar or obtaining either magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or flexion-extension films (FEF). We evaluated the utility of FEF in the current era of routine computerized tomography (CT) for imaging the CS in trauma.
  
  
  METHODS
  All neurologically intact, awake, nonintoxicated patients who underwent FEF for persistent neck pain after negative CT scan of the CS at our level I trauma center over a 13-mo period were identified. Their charts were reviewed and demographic data obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 354 patients (58.5% male) with negative cervical CS CT scans who had FEF for residual neck pain. Incidental degenerative changes were seen in 37%--which did not affect their acute management. FEF were positive for possible ligamentous injury in 5 patients (1.4%). Two of these patients had negative magnetic resonance images and the other three had collars removed within 3 wk as the findings were ultimately determined to be degenerative.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the current era, where cervical CT has universally supplanted initial plain films, FEF appear to be of little value in the evaluation of persistent neck pain. Their use should be excluded from cervical spine clearance protocols in neurologically intact, awake patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Baotram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Saxe
authors.forename: Akpofure Peter
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Ekeh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000293:injuries; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011187:Posture; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013124:Spinal Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
keywords: Blunt trauma; Cervical spine CT; Cervical spine clearance; Flexion-extension films